As NATO prepares for this weekend's summit, the U.S. should consider removing its nuclear weapons from Europe, as its tactical nuclear umbrella over NATO is no longer vital to European security. Russia also should limit its nuclear arsenal, says CFR's Micah Zenko.

This weekend's NATO summit could see the beginning of a cooperative relationship between Russia and the alliance, as well as a plan for Afghanistan withdrawal that will be welcomed by European leaders, says NATO expert Robert E. Hunter.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov writes of the warming relations between the NATO block and the Russian federation and highlights the importance of strengthening the Russia-NATO Council ahead of the November 20 Summit in Lisbon.

The French-Russian-German summit in Deauville this week sought to bring Russia closer to the West. Russia accepted an invitation to next month's NATO summit, but CFR's Charles Kupchan says Moscow questions the sincerity of Euro-Atlantic overtures.

As the United States and Europe face common threats around the globe, the time has come to break down the bureaucratic barrier between the European Union and NATO. Today's challenges require the hard power of NATO and the soft power of the EU.

NATO members preparing for a new "strategic concept" to be issued at the November summit will have to both hash out serious differences about how NATO forces should be deployed and determine how best to gain Russia's cooperation, says William Drozdiak.

NATO has been a cornerstone of security in Europe--and of U.S. foreign policy--for six decades. But its ability to continue playing such a central role is unclear. James M. Goldgeier takes a sober look at what the alliance and its members must do to maintain NATO's relevance in the face of today's strategic environment.

This military doctrine was approved by the Russian presidential edict on February 5, 2010. BBC Monitoring translated the doctrine on Februrary 10, 2010. The doctrine is prepartion for the Russian military to prepare its armed defenses. The expansion of NATO near Russian borders is listed as one of the main military dangers faced by Russia.

Listen to Philip H. Gordon, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, shed light on the status and future of the U.S.-European relationship under a new president's leadership, as well as the role of the transatlantic partnership in addressing international security challenges.

NATO's European members are more worried about a reassertive Russia than the threat posed by Afghanistan, says expert Robert E. Hunter. This has become the basis for an "unspoken bargain" on supporting the Afghan war effort, he says.

CFR Experts Guide

The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.

New Council Special Reports

Campbell evaluates the implications of the Boko Haram insurgency and recommends that the United States support Nigerian efforts to address the drivers of Boko Haram, such as poverty and corruption, and to foster stronger ties with Nigerian civil society.

Koblentz argues that the United States should work with other nuclear-armed states to manage threats to nuclear stability in the near term and establish processes for multilateral arms control efforts over the longer term.

The authors argue that it is essential to begin working now to expand and establish rules and norms governing armed drones, thereby creating standards of behavior that other countries will be more likely to follow.

2014 Annual Report

Learn more about CFR’s mission and its work over the past year in the 2014 Annual Report. The Annual Report spotlights new initiatives, high-profile events, and authoritative scholarship from CFR experts, and includes a message from CFR President Richard N. Haass.Read and download »